Father Bonaventure Curtis, O.S.B., has been named director of development for Saint Vincent Archabbey and Saint Vincent Seminary. Father Bonaventure, an attorney, ran several successful business ventures in southern California with his wife, Roswitha, who died in 2000.
Four years after his wife’s death, Father Bonaventure entered the novitiate at Saint Vincent Archabbey on July 1, 2004. He made simple profession of monastic vows on July 10, 2005, and solemn profession of vows on July 11, 2008. He was ordained to the diaconate on May 30, 2009 and to the priesthood on May 29, 2010 by Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg in the Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica.
Father Bonaventure, a native of southern California, was raised in Minneapolis, and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota, in 1970, majoring in English and Secondary Education. He taught senior English at Coon Rapids Senior High School for two years before returning to southern California in 1972.
After operating business ventures in insurance and travel agencies, he entered Western State University/Thomas Jefferson College of Law, San Diego, in the fall of 1975 and completed his studies for the Juris Doctorate degree in December of 1977. He was admitted to the State of California Bar Association the following year and practiced law continuously thereafter, including nearly ten years of daily civil litigation practice in the areas of general business and corporate securities. During his law practice he was also Chief Executive of one of the nation’s largest travel agency concerns and became an expert in the field of franchise law. In the last 15 years of his practice, he focused on contracts, generally in the entertainment industry. He began studies at Saint Vincent Seminary in 2005, following his profession of simple vows as a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey. He earned the master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 2010, with highest honors. He received the Omer U. Kline, O.S.B., Homiletics Award, given by the Rector’s Council to the fourth-year student who has most clearly demonstrated excellence in preaching.
His parents, John and Vera Curtis, are both deceased, but were long-time residents of Coronado, California. His sister, a resident of Los Angeles since 1962, is Loretta Roberson.
Father Bonaventure and his late wife had three daughters, who were raised and continue to live in San Diego.
Father Bonaventure has served as an assistant in the Archabbot’s Office (2005-2007, 2010-2011), and was named assistant director of Archabbey vocations (2005-2009). He served as acting director of vocations in the fall of 2010 and was appointed director of vocations in 2011, where he served until his recent appointment as director of development.
He teaches Language Rhetoric, Business Law, and Introduction to Marketing classes as a member of the faculty of Saint Vincent College from 2005-present. He also serves as secretary to the monastic chapter and the Council of Seniors (2009-present), was development consultant for Benedictine Military School, Savannah (2009-2011), and executive director of the Saint Vincent Summer Theatre (2009-present).
